Man sentenced to prison for attempted bank robbery, phony bomb threat to Pioneer High School

Posted on Thu, Dec 30, 2010 : 9:41 a.m.

Man sentenced to prison for attempted bank robbery, phony bomb threat to Pioneer High School

By Art Aisner

A man who planned to rob an Ann Arbor bank while police were preoccupied with a phony bomb threat he made for Pioneer High School is going to prison.

Aaron Doyle, 23, was sentenced to one year and 11 months to four years for attempted bank robbery and making a false bomb threat, court records show.

The Ypsilanti Township man was scheduled to stand trial next month on four felony charges. However, prosecutors agreed to drop attempted armed robbery and possession of burglary tools charges as part of the deal.

Ann Arbor police arrested him on May 20, shortly after they say he called in the bomb threat from a gas station in the city. He waived his preliminary hearing and was deemed competent to stand trial after an evaluation at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry.

Circuit Judge Donald Shelton also sentenced Doyle as a habitual offender due to a prior conviction on marijuana possession, records show.

Art Aisner is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.

Comments

Terrin

Thu, Dec 30, 2010 : 6:27 p.m.

Diane: As another poster said, taking somebody to trial takes time and money. Further, prosecutors generally overcharge somebody to put pressure on somebody to enter into a plea bargain.

Ricebrnr

Thu, Dec 30, 2010 : 6:22 p.m.

D'oh! Overthunk it. Shoulda just jumped the counter and ran. That worked just fine.

Atticus F.

Thu, Dec 30, 2010 : 11:51 a.m.

Diane, this is pretty standard. It's often done because of the cost of the trial, and the possibility of a guilty defendant being found not guilty. There is usually alot of thought and rational put into it...As apposed to making a decision based on anger and emotion.

Diane

Thu, Dec 30, 2010 : 9:54 a.m.

I just don't understand why criminals can't be charged for what they did. They always make a deal... "However, prosecutors agreed to drop attempted armed robbery and possession of burglary tools charges as part of the deal." Doesn't make any sense.